If you thought you were down with the kids, then it’s time to think again! According to a latest poll, there are a number of ‘top hacks’ that every parent should learn to master.
 
These include the all-too familiar dealing with a temper tantrum at the supermarket, to removing chewing gum from hair (relatable to anyone who’s seen the latest series of Orange is the New Black), to getting fussy eaters to eat their five-a-day!

Convert to Emoji
According to the study, parents should also swot up on practical solutions too, including how to limit screen time for your child, as well as understanding emoji’s.
 
Skye Lucas-Banks from Bassetts Vitamins, who commissioned the report, said: ‘When it comes to parenting, we know first-hand that it can sometimes feel like you’re caught in the cross-fire of everyday challenges – from tantrums and fussy eating, to gum-in-hair and other parental pleasures.”
 
“Our social and personal networks show we’re certainly not alone and it’s reassuring to know that someone else has found a great way to either get their kids to eat their veg or remember which shape to cut sandwiches into on a Thursday.”
 
Fuelling Fussy Eaters
It seems that fussy and picky eaters are commonplace. Among the many parent hacks employed, a quarter of parents play games with their kids such as ‘eating races’, while others hide vegetables in the food they like to encourage them to eat better.
 
Another fun way to get fussy eaters to take an interest in mealtimes is with a Munchy Play children’s plate. With three themes in the collection, there’s plenty of fun ways to play with little ones, including the Vroom-Vroom plate.
 
Learning on the Job
Many parents said that they were learning as they went along. As many as two fifths admitted to ‘learning on the job’, while others depended on word of mouth from other parents, with a high number admitting to picking up tips at the school gate, or during a parent’s evening.
 
Social media proved high on the agenda of parents, with many learning popular acronyms such as FOMO (fear of missing out) and LOL (laugh out loud).
 
The Wisdom of Elders
The findings also revealed that more than a third of parents turn to their mums for advice (rather than dads) especially when it comes to parent related questions. While a whopping 90% said that the older generation had passed on useful parenting advice to them.
 
Interestingly, 30 per cent of parents said their most useful advice they took on board was to be a parent, and not a friend.
 
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